Lula defeats Bolsonaro in Brazil runoff, wins fourth term

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been re-elected president of Brazil, defeating Flavio Bolsonaro in a runoff with 51.76% of the vote, securing his fourth term in office. Bolsonaro, who led in the first round with 47.03% against Lula's 45.16%, fell to 48.24% in the decisive vote. Lula's comeback marks the first time a first-round loser has won a runoff since Brazil's return to democracy in the late 1980s. Lula, who turns 81 on October 27, won by a margin of 4.3 million votes. Analysts attribute his victory partly to a drop in abstention, which fell from 21.08% in the first round to 19.21% in the runoff.